The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-04
DOWN THE FLORIDA SOUTHERN.
Cariey's station, Helena, Center Hin.
Webster. Ete.-A Florida washwomgn.
COITtspopsie,lee Of tbe Pulrfl,I N,ars

Webster, Etc.-A Florida washwomsn.
Correspondence of ne Pdidtkd Neao.
BARLOW, June 4.
The train runs through the finest fields
of corn the writer has seen in Florida, as
il leaves Leesburg, and then leaving cul-
tivation, the road plunges into dense
hammock, passing through some wild
and wierd scenery. The outlook is very
diversified by huge deadnings of water
oak, damp cypress swamps, and, now
now and then, a dry oasis of cultivatable
land.
At Carley's the train pulled up 10 let
lady and a child jump TO the new plat
form, which stands lonely and SEEM
ingly lost in the dense hammock. IL is
good land here; every bit of the soil is
covered with foliage of some description,
and it seems as IL a garden might be
made here which would feed the world.
On goes the train, past Helena, also "a
future truck farm, and suburb of Lees
burg; past bitches alive with squirn-
ing young aligators 90 Okahumpka, am
other garden spot, then through reach
of high pine land, past Garkens, To Cen
ter Hill. This is an enterprising place
and bids fair to lie heard from during
the next ten years.
HOMEMADE LAUNDRY UTENSILS.
Webster is the next station and here
was displayed another characteristic
scene of Florida. Under rude shanty
of sapplng pine poles, stood a white
woman engaged in washing. A big ket-
tie. precisely the counterpart of that
used by the "Ocala WITCH" was sus-
pended over fire, tubs were replaced by
large log followed out for several feet
of its length and the wash board consisted
of several split sticks nailed on bit Of
board. To remove the heavy dirt the
linen was laid on smooth stump be-
side the log wash-tub and then industri-
ously beaten with "A club. No wonder
that the Northern lady finds her fine
linen ruthlessly torn and mangled after
il has been through the hands of Flor
ida washerwoman. IL is treated the
same as the coarse jeans, and rough
linen that the backwoodsman possesses,
and comes home full of breaks, tears
and fractures.
Five miles beyond Webster the train
stops at Dragem Junction, town of be-
tween $50 and 800 inhabitants. This
town is about three miles south of the
spot made historical by the Dade Massa-
ere, and n stop here is of interest to all
interested in Florida's historical matters.
Six miles beyond Dragem Junction is
Pemberton Ferry, ON the Withlacoochee
River, a long stream which runs twenty
or thirty miles south of Lake Apopka,
and empties into the Gulf away up the
coast, almost To Cedar Key.
PEMBERToN FERRY.
At Pemberton picturesque rope ferry
afforded means for crossing the river,
other than those afforded by the railroad
bridges, and as your correspondent is
searching the rtmd in quest of subjects
for his camera, this ferry proved very
attractive To him.
At Pemberton Ferry the South Flori-
da Railroad takes the south-bound pass
enger. and the Florida Southern
stretches on southwest to Brooksville, IL
miles distant, where the train is laid up
for the night, returning 10 Palatka in the
morning.
From Pemberton Ferry TO Lakeland Is
almost wilderness, and, save few fer
tile spots like Dade City, Richland,
Kathleen and Tedderville, the entire dis
tance of 80 miles Is an unbroken forest,
peopIed as yet only by the trees, cows
and hogs.
LAKELAND.
Lakeland is beautiful town, and
makes the traveller feel at home as soon
as he arrives there. Your correspond
ent being an Interlachen man, ho~can
give Lakeland no higher compliment
| than TO say that the town reminds him
of Interlachen. II must be pleasant
place to live in. and it is healthy too.
J The town lies POS feet above tide water
and affords a fine view Of the surround
ing country.
The South Florida Railroad climbs the
longest grade in reaching Lakeland OF
any road in Florida-as far as the
writer's knowledge goes.
A short swift ride of thirteen miles.
passing Lake Hancock, brings the train
To Barlow, the county seat of Polk Coun-
~. Here your correspondent left the
train to be- Immediately gobbled up by
the most ferocious set Of hackmen ever
suffered to live outside of wicked New
York city. These men are simply
nuisance, and disgrace 10 the town Of
Barlow. Before the writer's eyes they pos
itively insulted lady in their anxiety 10
secure fare, and one of the rascals only
escaped a broken head from the hands OF
a fellow passenger, by the judicious
use of his heels. A Jehu less vociferous
than the rest, approached, and civilly
represented the Wright House, and TO
the Wright House went six Of the seven
passengers who were seeking hotel
comforts To the Wright House we all
went, and as the sequel proved we We're
all right glad that we had chosen such
a CW)right good house"
JAMES +. HOBART,
of Interlachen, Fla.
Some Pressing Questions.
1